Genotoxicity and mutagenicity of particulate matter emitted from diesel, gas to liquid, biodiesel, and farnesane fuels: A toxicological risk assessment

•Diesel and GTL, as fossil fuels, and Biodiesel and Farnesane, as renewable fuels, were studied in a light duty engine.•Genotoxic and mutagenic impact of diesel particles from the combustion of fossil and renewable fuels was conducted.•Farnesane has great potential to be used in diesel engines since its genotoxicity and mutagenicity is lower.•Farnesane fuel has the lowest negative effect on toxicological risk compared to the rest of the fuels tested. The genotoxic and mutagenic potential of soluble organic material extracted from particulate matter emitted by a typical automotive diesel engine was evaluated from the combustion of different alternative and/or renewable fuels. One of these fuels, called Farnesane, is a novel renewable paraffinic hydrocarbon obtained from sugar cane using a biotechnology fermentation process. Tests were carried out under a steady state condition with high level of generated particulate matter, which was collected with a stainless-steel filter located 1.5 m downstream of the exhaust manifold. The mutagenicity index was evaluated using an Ames test, obtaining values for Farnesane and biodiesel fuels lower than those for fossil fuels. However, all fuels showed a mutagenicity index higher than the Phosphate Buffered Saline control. The soluble organic material was extracted from particulate matter to evaluate its genotoxicity activity using an alkaline comet assay in human lymphocytes. The obtained genotoxicity trends were similar to mutagenicity, biodiesel and Farnesane fuels showing the lowest toxicity impact. Additionally, the cell viability was studied and classified according to the type of damage. The lowest values of average Deoxyribonucleic Acid migration and cell damage associated to Farnesane, together with its larger particle size, makes this renewable fuel a potential substitute of the traditional diesel.